About Ensign Thomas Curtis

Captain of the train band

Thomas was born January 14, 1648/9 in Stratford, Fairfield County, Connecticut. On July 12, 1657, he married Mary Merriman in New Haven, Connecticut. Mary, daughter of Capt. Nathaniel & Joan (____) Merriman, was born July 12, 1657 at New Haven and was baptized there on June 27, 1661. Thomas and Mary lived in Wallingford where Thomas was town surveyor and one of the signers of the original agreement of Wallingford. He was deputy to the Colonial Legislature in 1689, 1714, and 1717, and was a very prominent man in town affairs until 1720. He was elected Constable, December 17, 1681 and Town Treasurer in 1686.

Thomas was made a freeman in October 1670. His name appears as acting in a church meeting in 1670, the earliest record of the town. He attained the rank of captain of the "Train Band" of Wallingford in October, 1669.

The will of Thomas "Curtiss" was filed May 5, 1736:

In the Name of God, Amen, this Ninth Day of Augt in ye year of our Lord A.D. one Thousand Seven hundred & thirty-three, I Thomas Curtiss Senr of Wallingford in ye County of New Haven and Collony of Connecticut of New England aged about 85 years yet of perfect mind and memory, thanks be to God and Calling to mind ye Mortallity of the Body, do make & ordain this my Last Will & Testament that to Say principally & first of all & Recommend my Soul into ye hands of God yt gave it in hopes of his mercy through Jesus Christ and my Body I Commit to ye Earth to be decently buried at ye Discretion of My Executors hereafter named in hopes of a Glorious Resurrection and as Touching Wordly Estate wherewith it has pleased God to Bless me in this Life after my just Debts & Funerall expenses are paid, I Give, Divise & Dispose of ye Same in ye Manor & form following (viz)

To my beloved Wife Mary, I Give & Bequeath one half of ye House & Home Lott and Six acres of Land in the Plain near Capt. Yales and ye Improvement of all my meadow on ye West Side of ye River during her Nattural Life, my Mare, a cow & heifer and all my Movables in her use, these Movables Estate I Give unto my Wife to use & Improve & finally to dispose of at her pleasure.

Item. I Give to my Son, Nathaniel Curtiss my Chestnut Ground Lott, four acres near Jeremiah Hulls Home Lott joining to Land of John Ives also four acres at ye Plain field each piece as they are butted & bounded upon Record.

Item. To my Son Samuel Curtiss I Give & Bequeath ye one half of my fourth Division and each end of sd Lott.

Item. To my Son Thomas Curtiss I Give & Bequeath ye other half of my fourth Division which is at West end of sd Lott. Item. To my Son Joseph Curtiss I Give & Bequeath three acres of Land upon ye Clear Plain near Capt. Yales House at his Mothers Disease.

Item. To my Son John Curtiss I Give & Bequeath ye other half of my Home Lott at our Disease with ye Buildings & orchard upon it also ye Remainder of my Plain Lott near Capt. Yales at his Mothers Disease.

Item. To my Daughters, namely Mary ye Wife of John Crain, Elizabeth the Wife of Nathaniel Hall, Sarah the Wife of Joseph Parker to my Grandchildren borne of ye Body of my Daughter Abigail Dead, Late Wife to Joseph Holt and Jemima, Wife of Nathan Beech and Rebeckah ye Wife of William Munson to those above mentioned I Give & Bequeath four acres of Meadow & Plain Land on ye West Side of ye River at a place Calld ye horse pasture also my Sixth Division near ye West Rocks as they are Butted & Bounded upon Record all this I Give & Bequeath unto my Daughters & Grandchildren above named to be Divided to each of them in proportion with what I have already given them to make them equal Shares of my estate.

Finally I make Constitute & ordain my Son Nathaniel Curtiss and my Son in Law Joseph Parker Executrs of this my Last Will & Testament hereby revoking & Disannulling & making void all other Wills & Testatments Bequeaths & Executors by me made. Establishing & Confirming this & no other to be my Last Will & Testament in Wittness I have hereunto Sett my hand & Seal signed sealed Published & Declared by this I Thomas Curtis to be his Last Will & Testament in wittnes.

Signed, Thomas Curtis (seal)

Wittnesess,

John Peck

Daniel Hall

Benjamin Hall

Wallingford May ye 4th, day of 1736 John Peck, Daniel & Benjamin Hall all of Wallingford personally appeared and made Solomn Oath that they saw Capt Thomas Curtiss Late of Wallingford Deasd Sign, seal Publish & declare this Instrument to be his Last Will & Testament and yt they signed in ye presence of ye Testatr as wittnesess and ye Tastatr was of sound mind & memory at ye time thereof. Certified, Theophilus Yale, Justice of Peace.

10. CAPTAIN THOMAS CURTIS THOMAS 6 CURTIS (JOHN 5, JOHN 4, WILLIAM 3, JOHN 2, JOHN 1) was born January 14, 1647/48 in Stratford, Fairfield CT, and died May 05, 1736 in Wallingford Twp., New Haven CT. He married MARY MERRIMAN June 09, 1674 in Wallingford Twp., New Haven CT, daughter of NATHANIEL MERRIMAN and ABIGAIL. She was born July 12, 1657 in New Haven, New Haven CT.